Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone attack on a hotel in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, claiming at least 20 civilians were killed as they gathered to celebrate the New Year.
The allegation comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with intensified international efforts underway to end the nearly four-year war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said his country was “10 per cent” away from reaching a peace agreement, raising hopes of a potential breakthrough.
According to Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of Kherson, three drones struck a café and hotel in the coastal village of Khorly, where civilians were marking the arrival of 2026. Kyiv has not responded publicly to the accusation.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal probe into the incident, reporting more than 20 deaths and numerous injuries. Images released by Saldo showed a building gutted by fire, smouldering debris and bodies at the scene.
Moscow condemned the attack as terrorism. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians, describing the strike as a “terrorist act” against non-combatants.
Ukraine, meanwhile, accused Russia of escalating the conflict into the new year. Zelensky said more than 200 Russian drones were launched overnight, largely aimed at energy infrastructure, leaving significant numbers of consumers without electricity and damaging rail and port facilities, according to the national grid operator Ukrenergo.
The renewed violence comes as diplomatic manoeuvring intensifies. US President Donald Trump has engaged both Moscow and Kyiv in talks, while Ukraine says Russia is deliberately undermining peace efforts. Zelensky is expected to meet leaders of allied nations in France next week, following security talks in Ukraine, as pressure mounts on both sides to shift the war from the battlefield to the negotiating table.
